Vehicle hub



(No Model.) 2 Sfieets-Sheet 1.

D. M. LOUGKS.

VEHICLE HUB, BOX, AND SPINDLB.

No. 540,172. Patented May 28, 1895 Tigl- Witnesses: Inventor.

Ilafid llll. nuflQsL, 1 j Qlg du, 4,2?

W V Attorney.

2 Sheets -Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

D. M. LOUGKS. VEHICLE HUB, BOX, AND SPINDLE.

Patented May 28, 1895.

I nveptor. David v.Ln-uFKEL Witnesses W hlS ttorney.

E NORRS ERS CD PNOTOJJTHD WASHIN N D C NITED STATES ATENT Eric.

DAVID M. LOUCKS, OF JACOBUS, PENNSYLVANIA.

VEHICLE HUB, BOX, AND SPINDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 540,172, dated May 28, 1895.

Application filed December 31, 1894. Serial No. 533,497. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID M. LOUOKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at J acobus, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle Hubs, Boxes,

and Spindles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to vehicle hubs, boxes, and spindles.

The object is to produce a box and spindledevice, which shall be simple, efficient, and inexpensive in construction, in which the spindle may remain oiled for a long time and without having to remove the box from it, and in which there may be compensation for wear; furthermore, to produce a hub having a box of such construction as to permit of its being firmly fixed and held within the hub without the employment of wedges or the like, such as are commonly employed for this purpose, and in which the box will be efiectually held against loosening from jars, or from the impact caused by the contact of the nut on the end of the box with the inner surface of the end of the hub; furthermore, by which the wheel may be readily removed and replaced without removing the box or disturbing its relation with the spindle, whereby the oil for the spindle will not be disturbed.

With these objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the drawings for appearance. of the particular form of invention here employed as an illustration.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which like letters indicate corresponding parts, I have illustrated one embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation displaying in full lines a hub and in dotted lines the position of the box therein. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing in full lines my box with the outer end nut for retaining it in the hub removed and displaying the lugs to keep the box from turning in the hub and an orifice for the oil in one lug stopped by a peg or screw, also a set-screw for holding a nut on the spindle in position, and showingin broken lines the position of the spindle in the box, an oil-duct to the same, and an interior screwthread in the inner end of the box. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing my spindle formed with three cones and having a depression or ring for the oil-reservoir, one oil groove or feed appearing, though there may be several for conveyance of the oil to and from the end of the spindle. Fig. 4 is a view in front elevation showing the nut onthe inner end of the spindle which retains the spindle in the box and which may be turned up to enter the spindle farther into the box and compensate for wear, there being depressions or perforations in the face of the nut to allow it to be turned up by a fork or wrench. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the nut which holds the box in the hub, this nut being similarly provided. Fig. 6 isa view in front elevation with the axle in cross-section, showing a wheel with the spokes broken away to save space and displaying the inner end of the box with the inner or compensating nut in position, and a sand-band in two parts with hinged caps to cover over the stopper of the oil-orifice at the top, and the set-screw for the compensating nut at the bottom, the sand-band being set into or upon the end of the hub as usual; and Fig. 7 is a view in central longitudinal section showing all the parts put together and in proper relation.

Referring to the drawings, A, indicates a hub'which is cut out at its inner end, forming a chamber, a, and then bored to near its outer end, forming a straight bore, d of less diameter than the chamber, a, there being an oifset or shoulder, a left between the chamber, a, and the bore, a. At the outer end, the hub is cut out forming a chamber, a which is of greater diameter than the bore, leaving an offset or shoulder, a at the outer end of the bore. This chamber, a, is preferably of less diameter than thechamber, a. In the sides of the chamber, a, there are longitudinal, tapering incuts, a which have shorter incuts, (1 on their outer ends. On the inner face of the hub is a sand-band, a made in two parts, and having, at the situation of the incuts, caps, flaps, or covers, a, hinged to open and close in the same direction, and fitting ICO into the shorter incuts, a These caps may be such as to slide or swinglaterally upon or under the sand-band over the lugs.

The box is marked I), and is formed with a circular baseportion, b, of comparatively large diameter, and a circular extension, 19 of less diameter and longer than the base. Upon the base, and at diametrically opposite points thereof, are tapered lugs, b and one of these lugs, which Willbe at the top in use, is perforated through its outer end, and provided with a peg, screw, or other plug, b the perforation slanting downward through the lug, and opening into the interior of the box, preferably at or near the beginning of the extension, b Near the upper end of the other lug, a screw, passes directly through one side of the base-portion, to act as a set-screw to hold a compensating-nut, as will presently appear. At the upper end of the extension, this is closed, and it is there provided with a portion, 5 which is provided with a screwthread. Within, the box is provided, at the base-portion with a chamber, b up to an 0&- set, 19 the chamber having an internal screwthread, and is then provided, partly in the base and partly in the extension, with three communicating and progressively-tapering chambers, Z9 Z9 Z9 ending in a point or cone.

The spindle, C, is formed of abase-portion, c, which may be omitted, so that the cone may be continuous, and of an extension, 0 made up of three progressive cones, c c c fitting the corresponding portions of the box. Toward the inner end of the spindle, and near the base-portion, is an oil-reservoir or ring, 0 and, from this reservoir, a spiral groove, 0 leads to the end of the spindle. There may be several spiral grooves in opposite directions to carry oil to the end of the spindle and return it, the spirals being arranged for the purpose, as is well understood. For use in connection with the spindle, there is a screwnut,c on the round portion,c of the spindle.

To put the parts together and use them, the box is pushed upon the spindle, with the lug in which is the perforation for oil, uppermost, and with the inner end of the oil-duct over the oil-reservoir on the spindle. This will be effected by pushing the end of the box upon the spindle until the offset, b, in the box takes against the base-portion, c, on the spindle, O. The nut, 0 is then turned into the internal screw of the box until the parts fit snugly and properly, and is then fixed in position by the set-screw. Oil is then supplied through the oil-duct, and the opening is then closed by the plug, and then the wheel is put on, with the incuts fitting upon the lugs of the box, the covers in the sand-band being open to admit the lugs into the incuts and being closed when the wheel is in position. Finally, the nut is screwed onto the reduced portion of the box. The oil is preferably supplied in the same quantity to each wheel, as by a graduated syringe.

The great advantage of the peculiar construction of my box, in connection with that of the interior of the hub, is that the end of the larger or base-portion of the box takes against the shoulder or offset in the hub, holding the box against movement outward and the nut on the end of the box fixes it in position. In this way, the box is retained firmly in fixed position, while, at the same time, it is readily removable.

Itwill be seen that, from the construction, the box need not be removed for oiling the spindle, and that the parts are of very simple and ready construction and operation, the hub being readily bored, and may be readily and conveniently put together. As the spindle and box wear, the spindle maybe pushed farther into the box by turning up the nut, 0 on the inner end of the spindle,which thus actsas a compensating-nut; and this can all be done Without removing the box from the spindle. The nut will, of course, be fixed in position by the set-screw whenever turned up.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a vehicle-hub, a box formed externally with a base, and an extension of less diameter and longer than the base, and internally with a series of communicating, progressively tapering cone-shaped chambers, the walls of which converge toward a common center, in combination with a spindle constructed of a series of truncated cones, fitting within the box, and means for holding the parts assembled, substantially as described.

2. A vehicle-hub having a chamber at each end, and a bore connecting the two chambers, the bore being of uniform diameter throughout its entire length, in combination with a box formed externally with a base fitting within one of the chambers of the hub and DAVID M. LOUOKS. Witnesses:

R. J. LEWIS, D. W. TRUMPELLER. 

